Rig Veda, when translated, means “The knowledge of the verses,” comprising 1028 hymns and 10,600 verses. Rig Veda is the oldest of four Vedas, and it was handed over orally from 1500 B.C., but it was written only in 300 B.C. after other Hindu scriptures.
The Hymns of Rigveda are dedicated to various deities still worshipped today in various parts of Asia. The article contains a short description of deities glorified in Rig Veda’s hymns.
1. Indra
The warrior god and king of gods, Lord Indra, have been given high priority in Rig Veda. The 289 Vedic hymns written in his glory portray him as a warrior god who slew evil to liberate cows and rivers. He is often known as the God of rain by the general masses, and people still worship him for rain. He is portrayed as a bearer of Bajra who rides a great white elephant – Airavata.
2. Agni
The Lord of fire, Agni Deva, occupies 218 hymns in 10 volumes of Rig Veda. He is represented as an important god because he would hinder or favor farmers based on their effort to please him. Gods often ate through spirits living in the humans and through sacrifices; sacrifices were considered useless without fire. Since the fire was used to offer sacrifices, he is considered a messenger between humans and gods. Other followers claim his presence in all three realms, earth, atmosphere, and sky, made him a messenger of God. He is not the only fire in its form but also the fire that powers lightning and Sun. Agni deva uses a Ram, as is his Vahana.
3. Varuna
The God of water, Varuna is another prominent god in Rig Veda; he is the Lord of the sea. He is the Lord of natural law and order and oversees righteousness and justice through his thousand eyes. In early pictures, he rides a chariot pulled by swans, and late pics depict him riding a crocodile. Initially, he was a prominent deity, but he granted Indra and Prajapati his positions. He has been dedicated to 46 hymns in Rig Veda. He is considered the guardian of the western direction in Vedas.
4. Vayu
Vayu is often symbolized as a breath giver or Prana in many legends of Rig Veda. He is portrayed as a Gazelle riding a powerful destroyer which made a lot of noise when he moved around. The 12 hymns dedicated to him in Vedas describe his beauty. He holds the title of Lord of thoughts, beauty, and intelligence.
5. Surya
The literal translation of Surya in English means Sun; Surya deva was called Surya and Savitri in Rig Veda. The word Vishnu was Surya Devas’ name in the Vedic ages. Surya rides a chariot made from gold and seven horses and pulls it simultaneously. The sun god carries a high significance to date even though 8 Hymns were dedicated to him partly because the Gayatri Mantra was originally dedicated to him.
6. Yama
Lord Yama is dedicated to very few hymns in Rig Veda, but he stands very tall amongst important gods from the Veda. Vedic hymns describe him as Lord of justice and king of the dead who uses his mace and noose to punish or drag the dead to his world. He supervises deeds performed by people and gives them appropriate punishment. He uses a heavenly buffalo as his Vahana. He also possesses two dogs with four eyes and a wide nostril; they guard the doorway to his world (Yamaloka).
Other prominent deities and minor deities are mentioned in Rig Vedic deities that are highly revered. The name of some other deities is provided below.
- Soma: He is known as the God of plants. Soma has also been used to signify the ritual drink.
- Vishnu: He was considered to be in an inferior position to Indra and therefore has the name Upendra.
- Dyaus: The father of heaven.
- Aditi: The goddess of eternity
- Ishvara: The supreme God of the Universe
- Asvins/Ashwinis/Ashwini Kumaras: The twins with healing powers.
- Maruts: The lords of storms and destruction.
- Rudra: Rudra is a primitive form of the latter, more prominent god Shiva.
- Mitra: The guardian god along with Varuna. He appears together with Indra.
- Saraswati: The river goddess Yamuna in Rig Veda. Later, she became an independent deity after the river dried up. She is also popularly known as the goddess of Knowledge.
- Prajnya: The Lord of rain.
- Manyu: The Lord of war.